the final cut
by oblivion's pen
Summary: [AU] After committing suicide, Riku finds himself faced with one last task: to save another from making the same mistake. [Riku.Sora]


I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

(_sigh_)

This is my first Riku.Sora story (aside from **tutor**, which will be updated after this). So be gentle, yes?

* * *

the final cut (_prologue_)

"Riku? Riku, open the door! Riku, open the damn door before I fucking kick it down!"

There is no answer from inside the bathroom.

A blue-eyed boy with sand-touseled hair leans against the door, clutching his abdomen hurriedly. Beside him, an emerald-eyed brunette groans. "Riku, open the damn door! Tidus looks like he's about to burst any second! DAMNIT, RIKKKUUU!"

Letting out a maniacal yell, the girl--Selphie Tilmitt, also known as Crazy Sugar Freak--kicks open the door with one slim leg, surprising Tidus once again with an example of the effects sugar could have on a human. However, when he turns to yell at Riku and charge into the bathroom, there is a long moment of silence. "Oh my God. Tidus, call an ambulance!" Selphie shrieks, dashing over to Riku.

Tidus runs off, and Selphie calms herself, holding up two fingers as she brushes aside Riku's shoulder-length platinum hair, checking for a pulse.

None.

"Damnit!" Selphie shouts, prying open his eyes. The aquamarine orbs are empty, having lost their shine about an hour ago when Tidus and Selphie first began to pound on the door. "Damnit, Riku!" Selphie's usually shrill and high voice has gone soft, and tears gather in the corners of her large green eyes. "Damnit, Riku, wake up! Wake up..."

"Selphie! I called the ambulance. They're going to be here in a few--" Tidus stops short, clear blue eyes anguished. "...He's gone, isn't he?" Selphie nods, now openly crying as she lets go of Riku, not bothering to wipe away the blood staining her hands.

"Why? Why did he do this?! If something was bothering him, why didn't he tell us?!" Selphie demands, sobbing hysterically. Blood is everywhere: seeped into the carpet, staining the white tiles of the bathroom floor, and now covering Selphie's delicate hands. Wordlessly, Tidus strolls over to her, taking the girl in his arms as Selphie grasps onto him, crying.

_Riku_...

The ambulance arrives three minutes later, red sirens blaring loudly.

"I'm sorry, kid. There's nothing we can do..." the man explains.

"Do something! Anything!" Tidus yells back, slamming his fist into the wall. The paramedic jumps, obviously frightened, but shakes his head.

"He's gone."

* * *

He's not sure where he is, but he is sure that he doesn't like it. There is darkness, cold and hot and suffocatingly thick darkness, all around him, behind him, above him, _in_ him. The place he is at has no name, or so he thinks. It is merely a beach, with cold sand and even colder waves breaking upon the shore. Up ahead, the moon floats in the dark canvas of the sky, ethereally beautiful and hauntingly frightening at the same time.

He remembers searching his house for something sharp, finding a knife, and locking himself into the bathroom. He remembers looking into the mirror (_cold aquamarine stares back at him_) and then cutting down, not across, because if you want help then you go across but if you want it done right, you go down-down-down. And Riku's always doing things the 'right' way the first time.

So he cut down.

He didn't expect there to be so much blood, but one minute, he is thinking about how weird the bathroom looks with black walls, and the next minute he's _here_.

So where is _here_ anyway?

"You didn't think you could escape, did you?" a voice whispers softly, and Riku jumps, platinum hair shining in the moon's strange light.

"Who's there?!" Riku demands, looking around. "Who is it?!"

"You probably did think you could," the voice continues, "but that's not what happens. Little boys who commit suicide don't go straight to heaven. They're sent to _me_ first."

"...And who are you?" Riku asks softly, still searching around. From behind him, a black portal opens, and a figure steps out. The figure is tall, good-looking, with angular features and piercing red eyes. Long white hair cascades off his shoulders, and he places a hand softly on Riku's shoulder. The teenager freezes up.

"I am Ansem, but you will call me Death. Hello there, Riku."

Riku spins around and falls, and his aquamarine eyes are oh-so-dearly wide. "Wh-What am I doing here?"

The figure (_Death, oh that suits him_) smiles, showing rows of pearly-white teeth. "Like I said, Riku. You didn't think that you would go straight up there, did you?" Riku falls silent. He didn't really think much about what would happen _after_ he commited suicide. Just about the moment that it happened. "Personally, I think taking your own life is kind of cowardly. But oh well, I'm in charge of this sector, so I'll just have to suck it up."

Death smiles, and Riku swallows thickly. He's scared as hell.

"What do you want?"

"It's not what I want. It's what you want." Death chuckles at Riku's confused expression. "It's really up to you, my dear Riku. You see, in order to get up"-Death points upwards, towards the sky-"_there_, with all the singing angels and harps and blah blah blah, you'll need to atone. Meaning, you'll need to save someone. And I'm not just talking about pushing someone out of the way of a car. I'm talking about saving someone from the same thing you did."

_He wants me to save someone from committing suicide? Why, when no one saved me?_

Death shrugs, as if reading Riku's mind. "I don't know why no one saved you. But wasn't it your intention to kill yourself? Or were you really just looking for a hero to save you?" Riku falls silent, neither thinking nor speaking.

"Anyway, your assignment is _this_ boy." Death waves his hand, and an image of a grinning boy appears out of nowhere. Riku lets out a soft breath. The boy is beautiful, with lightly tanned skin and an adorable heart-shaped face. The boy's hair (_burn-cinnamon? how strange_) is incredibly spiky; but the most amazing thing is his eyes. Wide blue eyes, impossibly beautiful; they are sapphire-blue, gemlike, shining.

"Beautiful," Riku whispers softly.

Death waves his hand again, and the image disappears, snapping Riku out of his stupor. "The boy's name is Sora. Adorable, no?" Death smiles. His teeth glitter. "Anyway, your task is to save him."

"From what? How? Can he see me, or--?"

"No," Death says, cutting in. "He can't see you. But he may be able to feel you. If you're lucky. And as for 'how', well, you'll just have to figure that out, won't you? Now, make sure you focus on your task. You only have a little time, after all."

"Wait," Riku shouts. "I don't--"

"Ta-ta," Death laughs, and he waves his hand for the last time.

Then Riku is forced to close his eyes, and once more, there is darkness.

* * *

Review, please!

I'd like to see what you think, and whether I should continue it or not. (_smile_)

.oblivon's pen


End file.
